A US woman who shot and killed her husband and two adult children before taking her own life is thought to have committed the shocking crime as a result of being ostracised from the religion she was raised in.

A federal judge sentenced a former Arkansas judge Wednesday to five years in prison — a stiffer punishment than prosecutors recommended — after he admitted giving young male defendants lighter sentences in return for personal benefits that included sexual favours.

Every time I tell a mate I’m doing a story on cryptocurrency, they invariably ask me the same two questions: should they invest their own hard-earned money, and which cryptocurrency will get them a Lamborghini/yacht/island quickest?

In a 60 Minutes online exclusive, reporter Liz Hayes quizzed Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on his relationship with the unpredictable Twitter aficionado and US president Donald Trump ahead of their meeting at the White House Friday.

Time to co-operate, Abbott tells Indonesia

It's high time Indonesia resumed co-operating with Australia on asylum seekers and other issues, Prime Minister Tony Abbott says.

Mr Abbott said the suspension of co-operation had been unhelpful to his new government's aim of stopping asylum seekers coming to Australia by boat.

Indonesia suspended military, intelligence gathering and people-smuggling co-operation in November after it emerged that Australian spies attempted to tap President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's mobile phone, as well as those of his wife and other close political allies, in 2009.

Australia's northern neighbour wants a new code of conduct to map out the future of the bilateral relationship, including guarantees against future spying activities.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop held talks with her Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa earlier in December in a bid to mend the relationship.

Mr Abbott said on Saturday there was no doubt Indonesia's actions had been unhelpful.